Radio Shack Romance
by Fearless Swan
Summary: Penelope seeks out a new mate after her relationship with Bentley grows cold. Can the two settle their differences and get back together?
1. First Meeting

NOTES- Sly Cooper and all related characters are property of Sucker Punch Productions. Radio Shack is property of Radio Shack Corporation.

RADIO SHACK ROMANCE

After helping their friend and notorious master thief Sly Cooper defeat the evil Dr. M and then rebuild the Cooper family vault, Bentley and Penelope had settled in a small, peaceful town right outside of New York City. In the almost year's time since their adventure, the two young lovers had enjoyed many good times together, but lately things had not been going well for the couple.

Bentley had grown obsessed with his time machine, and spent practically almost all his time down at the lab working on the thing. He had built a crude prototype, but it was only able to go back or forward in time by a few months. And during the few moments he was at home, he was either sleeping or messing around on his computer.

Today was another typical day for Penelope, stuck in the house while Bentley was at work on the computer. She approached the turtle and gently embraced him. "Oh, Bentley dear," she said. "Why don't we do something today? Go to a movie, or out for dinner, or maybe steal something valuable?"

"I'm sorry," Bentley said, still concentrating on the computer monitor. "I'm quite busy right now."

"We never have any fun anymore," the mouse said, dismayed. "I think it's time you consider giving up this ridiculous time machine project."

"But I think I'm on the verge of a breakthrough," he said. "Once I get this machine in proper working order, we'll have plenty of fun traveling to the ancient past and the distant future."

"Whatever," said Penelope. "But while your having your 'breakthrough', I'm going to go out for a little while. I need to pick up some batteries for my RC car."

"OK," Bentley said. "See you later then."

"Bye." She grabbed her purse and stepped out of their apartment, heading down the stairs and out onto the street to the nearby Radio Shack to purchase the batteries. The store was located in a strip mall two blocks from their home. That turtle could be so annoying sometimes. She was starting to see why someone as calm and collected as Sly would just go off on him and call him such vile names.

She had witnessed a bit of this during their adventures with Cooper, and had often criticized Sly for being so harsh toward his friend, but it turned out it was pretty much justified, as Bentley was known to get rather whiny and irritable when he couldn't get his way, and at present was constantly carrying on about his failed time machine.

Oh well. She was hopeful he would get over this whole thing shortly. Penelope had now arrived at the Radio Shack. Getting these batteries was going to be a bit of a chore. Her remote-control vehicles required a special high-power brand of battery, and the sales clerk, a rude, lazy bunny named Hector, always acted like it was such a hassle to go in the back and get them for her.

She hoped the guy would be in a good mood as she stepped inside the store and made her way toward the counter. To her surprise, the rude rabbit clerk was not to be found. In fact, there was no one behind the counter. "Hey Hector," a voice called from the back. "We've got a customer. You mind waiting on them?"

"Why don't you do it, you lazy ass?"

"Fine... Worthless sack of crap..." A young bespectacled turtle stepped out of the back room and behind the counter. He stood just over four feet tall and was dressed in a red sweatshirt, black pants and red high-top sneakers. He had a plastic name tag pinned to his shirt that read "Todd". He adjusted his glasses and smiled to Penelope. "Sorry about that... How may I help you today, ma'am?"

This Todd fellow was so polite and soft-spoken, unlike the guy who usually worked here. "I'm looking for some Super-Turbo 9000 extra-capacity RC batteries, please," she said.

"Oh," said the turtle. "I'm not sure if we still have any, but I can check."

"OK." She watched as he once again walked into the back room. Though she knew it was wrong to think so, Penelope found this turtle quite attractive, plus he wasn't as loud and annoying as Bentley. She patiently awaited his return. He emerged a few minutes later, empty-handed.

"I'm sorry," he said. "But we're all out of that brand."

"Oh," she said, disappointed. "I guess I'm going to have to go somewhere else. Thanks for your help anyway, Todd."

"You know," Todd said. "I still have some batteries left over from my old RC cars. Maybe I could bring them here tomorrow ... or better yet, maybe you could come by my place tomorrow and get them."

"Umm, OK..." Penelope said, looking at him strangely. The turtle wrote down his address and handed it to her.

"May I ask your name?"

"I'm Penelope," she said, holding out her paw to her.

"Nice to meet you," he said, shaking her hand and smiling.

"Nice to meet you too, Todd," she said. "Around what time would be good for me to show up?"

"Around noon."

"OK," she said. "Bye." She waved and then stepped out of the store. Penelope was stunned as she walked home. This strange guy had just invited her over to his house out of nowhere. Sure, it was just to pick up some batteries, but it was possible it could develop into more.

No. She shouldn't think about such things. Bentley may have been a jerk, but she couldn't leave that poor little guy alone for the first handsome guy she saw at the store. Or could she? Perhaps if she started going out with this Todd, it would teach Bentley not to take her for granted and he'd start spending some more time with her and less time working on that darned machine. It was worth thinking about... She returned to their apartment and walked in.

She searched the entire apartment and Bentley was nowhere to be found. He had, however, left a note alongside his computer.

Gone to the lab to work on the machine a bit.  
Be back real soon. Sorry I've been so busy lately.

Love,  
Bentley

She sighed and sat down on the couch, turning on the television. She really hoped he'd get over this thing soon. Perhaps a change of scenery would not be such a bad thing... She flipped through the channels as she waited for Bentley to return home.

Things had grown terribly slow at the Radio Shack after Penelope had come in inquiring about those batteries. Todd took the slow time to restock some of the store's shelves. Hector the rabbit approached him as he worked. "I heard you with that girl," he said. "You better stop trying to pick up women on the job, or you're gonna get in trouble."

"I wasn't trying to pick her up," said Todd. "I was just helping out the customer."

"Yeah," the rabbit said. "Helping her into your bedroom!"

"Hey," the turtle responded. "Why don't you make yourself useful, and do some actual work?" Todd then checked his watch. It looked like his shift was up. "Finish stocking up these shelves." He handed the rabbit a box of electronic parts, punched the time clock and then started to leave.

"Whatever you say," Hector said sarcastically.

Todd then left the store and started for home. What was he thinking inviting that girl over to his house? The place was a total mess! He'd better call some of his friends up to have him help clean the place, he thought as he got in his car and started for home.

He drove out of the parking lot and was soon caught up in the usual late afternoon traffic. As he sat through the gridlock, he took out his cell phone and dialed in a number. "Hey Andy," he said. "It's your old friend Todd. I've got a little favor for you and your guys... Just show up at my house around eight in the morning... Don't worry, I'll make it worth your while. OK. Bye." He hung up as traffic began to clear and then drove home.

Penelope was asleep in front of the television when Bentley returned home, which was just a little bit before midnight. He covered her up with a blanket and then headed into the bedroom to sleep himself.

Tomorrow was sure to be an interesting day for Penelope, and also for Bentley should he somehow find out she's visiting another guy, and not just another guy but another turtle as well. Supposedly, she was just going to pick up some RC batteries. Nothing much could come from such an encounter, could it? 


	2. The Next Morning

Todd awoke early the next morning. He opened his closet and took out a nice button-down shirt, a pair of pants, and his good black dress shoes and then got dressed. He then stepped out of his room and headed into the living room to wait for his friends to show up.

As he waited, he looked around his house. There were dirty clothes, dirty dishes, food containers, and spoiled food everywhere. A foul odor hung in the air. How could he allow his home to become such a mess? He sat back and turned on the television. Soon, there was a knock at the door. He got up and headed over to answer it. He opened the door, and standing in the doorway were three individuals, a raccoon, a penguin and a hedgehog. "Good," said Todd. "Right on time."

"Now what was so important that you made us get up so early?" asked the raccoon.

"I want you three gentleman to clean up my house," the turtle said. "I need it done before noon, and I'll give each of you $400 for your troubles."

"Wow," the penguin said. "Why are you being so generous all of a sudden?"

"Because I'm having some company over today and I don't want the place to look like a dump," Todd said.

"Looks like little Todd's found himself a little girlfriend," the raccoon said teasingly. "Am I right?"

"That's none of your business," the turtle snapped. "Now clean it up nice and don't steal any of my stuff. I've got a few errands to run. You'll find everything you need to clean up in the living room." He moved toward the door.

"Oh, we'll do a good job of cleaning the place up," said the raccoon. "But it'll be hard for me to resist stealing anything. After all, your collection of unwashed socks and moldy pizza boxes must be worth a fortune!"

"Goodbye, you idiots," Todd said, stepping outside. "I hope this wasn't a mistake..."

"Bye," said the hedgehog. The door closed and Todd was gone.

"OK, you guys," the raccoon said to his two friends. "Todd is paying us a lot of money, so we've got to do this right. Chris, you'll clean the living room. Matt, you take the kitchen, and I'll clean his bedroom and do his laundry."

"Why don't you let that nerd wash his own dirty underwear?" the penguin said, picking a pair of boxer shorts off the floor and throwing them across the room.

"We haven't exactly been the best of friends to Todd," said the raccoon. "But he's always been there for us. So, I'm going to go out of my way to get this place extra clean."

"Whatever you say, Andy," the bird said and then started for the kitchen.

The hedgehog started working on the living room and the raccoon moved toward the turtle's bedroom.

Penelope had gotten up early and prepared a large breakfast for Bentley, in hopes that she could convince him to spend more time with her and less time with his machine. The turtle emerged from his room and headed out to the kitchen to greet her. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Bentley honey," she said smiling. "Join me for some breakfast."

"Thanks," he said. "But I can't. Got to get down to the lab. I've gotten the time machine to travel as far back as five years. I think I'm ready for a big breakthrough!" He grabbed a muffin and then kissed her good-bye. "See you later." He then started for the door.

"Bye," she said disappointedly as he rolled out. "What am I going to do with him?" She sadly flopped down on the couch.

As he went about his daily business, Todd wondered if this Penelope girl was actually going to be nice and kind toward him or dismiss him as a worthless loser as most had done to him in the past. He also wondered if perhaps he should have hired professionals to clean up his house instead of relying upon his useless friends.

The penguin and hedgehog relaxed on Todd's couch, having largely cleaned up the house. They were watching television and drinking some beers they found in his refrigerator. "I wonder why Todd asked us to clean up his place," said the hedgehog. "I thought the swan was his new best friend."

"That swan is probably too afraid to get his feathers dirty," the penguin said.

"Yeah."

"OK, you guys," the raccoon said, entering with a large basket of freshly-cleaned laundry. "Back to work. We've only got a little bit left to do and Todd is sure to return soon."

"OK," the penguin said, getting up.

"Is that beer you're drinking?" asked the raccoon. "It's not even 10:00 yet!"

"Come on, Andy!" the hedgehog said. "You dragged us down here. At least we could have a little fun."

"Get up and finish cleaning!" Andy demanded.

"Fine..." The hedgehog removed the last remaining trash from the living room, as the penguin finished up the kitchen.

Todd returned home and looked around in amazement. "Wow..." he said. "You guys have done a wonderful job! Just for that, I'm giving you an extra hundred each."

"Thank you," Andy said smiling. "I'm sorry about all the terrible things I've done to you before."

"It's OK," said Todd, handing each of them some money.

"Like the time I glued all that stuff to your shell," the raccoon said. "Or the time I poured all that itching powder into the butt end of your shell, or the time I fired you out of that cannon..."

"Actually, the cannon thing was kind of fun," said the turtle. "You three are now free to leave. Thank you for all the help."

"No problem," Andy said. "Call us anytime if you need anything."

"I will."

The three of them depart. Todd sits down on the couch and watches them leave. He looked at his watch. Plenty of time to rest up before Penelope shows up. He took off his shoes and his glasses, spread out on the couch and pulled his head in his shell.

Penelope finished cleaning up the breakfast she had worked so hard to make for Bentley. She really hoped this Todd fellow was as nice and charming as he looked. She had really become lonely thanks to Bentley's nonsense and was hoping for a little companionship. She looked to the clock and decided to leave for Todd's early in case she had trouble finding the address. 


	3. The Visit

Penelope arrived at Todd's house a little before noon, having had little trouble locating the address. She rang the doorbell, but no one came. She rang again.

Todd awoke upon hearing the doorbell and pulled his head out of his shell. He put on his glasses and shoes and went to the door to answer it. He saw the young mouse girl and smiled to her. "Hello," he said. "Come on in."

She stepped into his house and looked around. "You have a really nice house," she said. "And so clean."

"Thank you," Todd said. "Have a seat." He led her into the living room. She sat down on the couch and he sat down next to her. "Can I get you a drink or anything?"

"No thank you," Penelope said. "But thanks for asking." She briefly glanced toward Todd. He was so handsomely dressed. She tried to convince Bentley to wear nice clothes, but he refused, preferring to go around nude for some reason.

"The RC batteries are out in my shed," he said. "I'll go fetch them. I also have a couple of cars and a plane if you're interested."

"Can I come out and have a look at them?"

"Sure," he responded, standing up. He took Penelope's paw and together they walked out into his backyard. He led her to a rusted, run-down looking shed. He unlocked the door and led her inside. He then turned on the light. The shed's ancient, worn-out exterior hid a rather impressive and high-tech workshop. There were several steel workbenches covered with tools and electronic parts crammed into the tiny space, as well as some storage cabinets and a computer.

"Wow," Penelope said, looking around. "This is quite a place you've got."

"Thanks," he said, smiling. He then opened up one of the cabinets and rummaged around, eventually producing several batteries wrapped in plastic. "Here you go." He handed them to her.

"Thank you so much," she said as a look of delight came across her face. "These are hard to find!"

"I know," the turtle said. "That's part of the reason I gave up this hobby."

"Oh."

He then searched around the workshop and discovered two radio-controlled cars buried among all his equipment. They were slightly larger than Penelope's own and appeared to be equipped with a number of fancy upgrades. He also took out a remote control. He handed the cars and remote to her. "For you, my dear."

"Thank you," she said smiling. "You're so nice... Are you sure you want to give these up?"

"Yeah," he said. "They're just taking up space. I've outfitted the cars with an advanced traction control stabilization unit, as well as special high-grip tires. Not only will these cars never flip over, but they can drive straight up walls."

"Really?" she said. "Let me go try these out."

"OK." They both stepped out of the shed. He locked the door as they left. Penelope switched on the remote and then started to drive one of the cars around his yard. She drove the vehicle over to the back wall of the house. She maneuvered the car until touched the edge of the wall and then tried to drive up it, thinking that it would fall right over. However, Todd was right and the car could infact drive straight up the wall. She drove it right onto his roof. "Impressive," she said.

"The car is also equipped with some thrusters, so it can briefly hover," he said. "Try it out. Just press the blue button on your remote."

She pressed it on a slight flame blasted from the bottom of the car. She got the car to take off and float a few feet in the air before landing it in front of her. "Wow! I can't thank you enough for these cars."

"It's no problem," he said. "Let's go back inside. I'm getting a little cold."

"OK," she said, picking up the cars. Todd took her paw and they headed into the house.

"Didn't you say you also had a plane?" Panelope asked as they once again sat on the couch.

"Yeah," he said. "I thought it was with the others, but I can't seem to find it."

"Oh, OK."

Todd's three friends were at the park and they were flying his remote-controlled airplane around. "You really ought to try this, Andy," said the penguin. "It's really fun!"

"Todd told us not to steal any of his things," the raccoon said.

"I doubt he misses this. It was covered in dust when we found it."

"Well, OK," Andy said. "I suppose it couldn't do any harm." He took the remote and made the plane flip over several times. Then he flew it straight up in the air as high as it could go. He lost control of the airplane as he tried to land it and it crashed into a hot dog cart, exploding into flames. "Oh, crap!"

"Let's get out of here!" The three of them then ran off.

"Nice flying, ace," the penguin said as they got into Andy's car and drove away before anyone had seen what they had done.

Bentley was at his lab working on his time machine as usual when someone else entered the room. It was Bentley's assistant, a tall, handsome well-dressed swan with blue-green eyes.

"It's about time you decided to join me," the turtle said.

"I'm sorry," said the swan, taking a seat at his desk.

"I'm starting to have reservations about this project," he then said.

"Not this again, Oliver," Bentley said. "For the last time, this machine is not going to fall into the wrong hands! We've got the latest in security here. No one can get in! Now, are you going to get off your worthless butt and help me, or are you going to sit there and whine?"

"I suppose you're right," the swan said. "After all, I did help design the security for this place."

"Besides," said Bentley. "It can only go back five years. It's not like anyone can do much damage in that time. Plus, I've made it quite complicated, so there are very few who would be able to use it."

"Yes, yes," Oliver said. "Let's get to work."

"So, Penelope," Todd said as they sat on his couch together. "Why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself?"

"Well..." She went on to tell him about her childhood, her secret life as the Black Baron and her recent adventures with Sly and his friends.

"Sly Cooper," Todd said. "You know, he wanted me to be the 'brains' of his operation when his friend got hurt, but I turned him down. Didn't want to get caught up in his crowd. But now that I think about it, I really should've gone. It sounds like you guys had a lot of fun..."

"Yeah," Penelope said. "How did Sly find out about you?"

"I was working for someone he stole frome," he replied. "He said he wanted someone intelligent who doesn't always brag about how smart he is. Apparently, his friend was always doing that."

"Oh?" Penelope said. Now that he mentioned it, Bentley did seem to hold his super intelligence over the head of anyone who wasn't as smart as him. Bentley. Bentley. She had to stop thinking about Bentley. He was part of her past now. "So Todd, why don't you tell me a little about you?"

"OK," he said. He went on to give her his life story in a nutshell, telling her of how he grew up in a well-to-do family and went to a prestigious Ivy League university, graduating at the top his class with two degrees, and his unfortunate inability to find a decent job with those degrees. He told her of his brief time living on the street, and how he eventually got back on his feet.

"So, why didn't your parents help you out when you were in trouble?" Penelope asked.

"That's just the way they are," Todd said. "Turtles are not known as loving parents unfortunately."

"Oh..." she said. The two seemed to sit there and talk for hours. She felt so comfortable and safe in his presence, something she hadn't felt with Bentley of late. There she was, thinking about him again.

"How would you like to go grab a bite to eat?" Todd asked. "I know a place you're sure to like."

"I would love that!" she said, smiling.

Todd rose from his seat, took her paw and led her to the door. He opened the door and led her outside, locking the door before the got in the car and drove away. 


	4. Trouble On The Horizon?

"You know," Oliver said as he and Bentley worked on his time machine. "I really don't understand why you hired me. It's true that I took some quantum astrophysics while in university, but I'm an entertainer by trade."

"I need you to put a good face on this whole project," the turtle said. "You have the uncanny ability of explaining complex concepts to the moron- I mean our investors."

"You've really got to get over your elitist attitude, Bentley," the swan said. "Just because you've got a high IQ doesn't make you better than the average person."

"First Sly, now you. Everyone wants to lecture me," Bentley complained. "Don't I have the right to be proud of my superior intellect?"

"Why yes you do," said Oliver. "All I'm saying is tone it down a little."

"Whatever," Bentley said. "We should be able to take this baby a full decade into the past. You've done some good work, friend." He set down his wrench and closed the cover of the machine.

"Why thank you."

"We'll be able to go back 10,000 years in no time!" Bentley said.

Sly Cooper was hiding behind a massive statue in an ornate mansion just outside of his friend Bentley's hometown. He had heard rumors that the archvillain Arpeggio had somehow survived his encounter with Clock-La, but he didn't believe it-until now, that is. He was listening in on the bird's discussions with his associates. Apparently he had plans to steal his friends time machine, even though the device wasn't finished yet.

"I shall steal that accursed turtle's time machine, go back and make sure that my original master plan goes off without any interference for that Neyla or the troublesome raccoon and his friends" Arpeggio said to one of his minions, a rhino.

"I see," said his associate. "The machine only goes back five years, yet that's plenty of time to make up for your mistake."

"Yes," the bird said. "Now, let us head to my planning room and go over the security blueprints for the laboratory. Tomorrow shall be a day of victory!"

Sly had to do something to stop this plan, but what? Carmelita was along for the trip, as the two of them were doing a routine arrest in the area, so he couldn't contact Bentley without blowing his whole "amnesia" cover. Time was pretty short, so he had to figure out something. A guard had noticed him hiding behind the statue, but he was able to quickly dash out an open window without being noticed.

Todd and Penelope had arrived at a small, quiet, charming cafe downtown. Todd got out of the car and opened the door for Penelope. He then took her hand and led her toward the restaurant.

"You're such a gentleman," Penelope said. "Has anyone ever told you that?"

"Why, no," said Todd. "In fact, most people avoid me."

"What?" she said. "But you're so nice and friendly."

They entered the restaurant and were seated by the hostess. They both ordered and then awaited for their food to arrive. "So, nobody around here likes you?" Penelope asked.

"Not really," said Todd. "I'm not sure why."

"I haven't been able to make many friends since I moved here," said Penelope. "But I'm glad I met you."

Todd smiled. "I'm glad I met you too."

Their food was soon brought and they both began to eat.

"This is such a nice place," said Penelope.

"Why thanks," Todd said. "I knew you would like it." He took a drink from his glass.

"So, Penelope," he then said. "I've been wondering, how did you manage to convince the entire aviation community that you were a middle-aged British man?"

"Nobody's really asked me before," said Penelope. "I took a few acting classes at the local community college."

"And that was enough to fool everyone?"

"Apparently," the mouse said. They continued eating.

"You know," Todd said. "You should consider going into movies. You've certainly got the looks for it." He gently stroked her cheek.

She blushed slightly. "You're so sweet..." She reached across the table and kissed his beak.

"I love you so much," the turtle said, finishing off his meal.

Her eyes widened with surprise. "But we just met. You hardly know me..."

"But you're the nicest, sweetest and prettiest girl I've ever met," Todd said. "And the only person in this town who doesn't hate me."

"I really like you too, Todd," she said. "You're so kind and so caring. I think we should see each other more."

"Really?" he asked, looking at the check.

"Yes" Penelope finished up her food as well.

"Penelope," Todd said. "Would you like to spend the night with me? I'm all alone at that little house of mine..."

"Uhh..." she said. This was all happening so fast. And if Bentley ever found out... Oh well. Spending the night at Todd's would be much better than spending another night alone sleeping on the couch at the apartment. "Sure, Todd. I'd love to spend the night at your house."

"Thank you." He smiled and got up. Penelope got up as well. He took her paw and they walked to the counter together to pay. He quickly paid and the two walked out hand in hand. He politely opened his car door for her and she got in. He climbed in himself and they headed back to his house.

"It seems there is one fatal flaw in Mr. Bentley's security system," Arpeggio said as he and his associates looked over a blueprint spread out in his office. "It seems he has placed security lasers throughout his facility, except over this one vent." He pointed to a spot on the blueprint. "This vent leads directly into his laboratory and is right next to the time machine! I'll just climb up onto the roof, drop down through the vent, enter the time machine, and victory shall be mine!"

"What do you need us for, then?" one of his thugs asked.

"You will distract the turtle and his assistant long enough for me to enter the machine," said the villain.

"Oh."

"Well, what if that Cooper shows up?" another one of his gang said.

"That's highly unlikely," the bird said. "He has started a whole new life, and he thinks I'm long since dead and gone. But if he does show up, you should be able to take care of him. Now, it's getting late, gentlemen. We will meet back up here bright and early tomorrow morning. Good evening." He and his associates exited the room.

Unbeknownst to Arpeggio and his crew, Sly had planted a microphone on one of his guys before leaving and had heard every word he had said. It seemed there was an opening in Bentley's security system, but how was he going to correct it? It looked like he was going to require the help of an old friend...

"What are you doing, Cooper?" Carmelita said, entering the room. "We've got a suspect to grab!"

"OK... Sorry..." He quickly hid his listening equipment and then left with Fox.

Todd and Penelope had arrived back at Todd's house. Penelope couldn't believe that the two had spent the entire day together. He unlocked the door, turned on the lights and they stepped into the house. "I've really enjoyed our day together," Penelope said.

"Me too," said Todd. He then yawned. "I'm so tired..."

"We better get to sleep then," she said.

"OK," the turtle said. "You can sleep out here on the sofa bed ... or in my room with me."

"I think I'll sleep in with you," she said. "I know that turtles can get awfully cold at night."

"You want to keep me warm tonight?" Todd asked. "That's so thoughtful."

Penelope smiled and took his paw and together they walked into his bedroom. He turned on the light as they stepped inside. Todd's bed was large and comfortable looking. Penelope sat down at the foot of the bed. Todd slipped his shoes off and set them aside.

Penelope sat and watched as Todd undressed. He was such an attractive young creature, and so nice and polite, yet it seemed a little wrong to be abandoning Bentley for him. Oh well, it served Bentley right. If all he cared about was that machine, then perhaps he deserved to be alone.

Todd then removed his glasses, giving her a better look at his warm, friendly yellow eyes. He set them on the night stand and climbed under the covers. Penelope then slipped out of her clothing and got into bed next to Todd, holding him close. "Good night, Penelope," he said, smiling.

"Good night, sweetie." She gently kissed his forehead and the two of them soon fell asleep. 


	5. Operation: Time Saver

Todd snuggled up close to the warmth of Penelope's fur as he slept. Usually, he kept his head and limbs inside his shell when he was asleep, but he felt so comfortable in her presence, he left them out. Disturbed by something, Penelope now awoke.

"Todd?" she said softly. "Todd?"

"Yes," he said sleepily. "What?"

"I think there's someone else in this room with us..."

"That's ridiculous," Todd said. "Who would be in here?"

"I think you better check just to be on the safe side," she whispered.

"If you say so..." Todd turned on the lights, picked up his glasses and put them on. Sure enough, Penelope was right. There was someone else in the room. None other than Sly Cooper was sitting at the foot of his bed.

"Cooper?" said the turtle. "What are you doing here?"

"I need your help, Todd," the raccoons said. He then spotted the familiar female mouse next to him. "Penelope? What are you doing here?"

"Todd's my new boyfriend," she said. "Isn't he the cutest?"

"I take it you and Bentley had a little falling out?"

"Yes," Penelope said. "I think Bentley loves that stupid time machine more than me!"

"Oh..." said Sly. "That's what I'm here about. Bentley's time machine is in danger."

"Why should I care?" she said. "Someone could blow that thing to pieces for all I care!"

"You don't understand," the raccoon said. "An evil man plans to break into Bentley's lab and use the machine to travel back in time and rewrite history."

"I don't see how this person will accomplish this," Penelope said. "Bentley installed a state-of-the-art security system at his lab, in fact of the very same type we used when we rebuilt your family's vault."

"Yes," said Sly. "But there's a fatal flaw in his design. There's still one opening that the bad guys could get through. That's where you two come in."

"Let me guess," Penelope said. "You want us to attach a laser security device over this opening."

"Exactly," Sly said.

"Where do I figure into all this?" asked Todd.

"You can build us an extension of Bentley's security system," said Penelope.

"Uhh... OK... This is a standard laser security grid system?"

"Yes," Sly answered.

"I'm going to have to run over to my store and pick up some supplies for that," said Todd.

"OK," Sly responded. He then looked curiously at the two creatures sitting in bed in their underwear. "You two get dressed. I'll be waiting outside."

"Sure thing," said Todd. Sly then left the bedroom. Penelope got out of bed and stood up.

"It looks like we'll be going on an adventure together," Penelope said as she got dressed. "It's been a long time since I've done anything exciting."

"I suppose so," Todd said, opening his closet and taking out some clothing. "But why does he need me for this?"

"You're going to have to assemble a new laser module," said Penelope. "And also make some modifications to my RC car for me."

"OK..."' Todd said. He then got dressed in a black sweatshirt, a pair of blue jeans and his favorite red high-top sneakers. "Let's get going."

"How are we going to get in your store?"

"Don't worry," said the turtle. "I have a key."

"Oh..."

The two of them then headed outside to meet up with Sly. They stepped out the door to find Sly standing next to Todd's car.

"Do you mind if I drive?" asked the raccoon.

"No, not at all," Todd said, handing him the keys. "May I ask why?"

"No offense," said Sly. "But you turtles are kind of slow, and I have to get out of town soon, or risk blowing my cover."

"Whatever," Todd said. "Let's get going."

"OK." Everyone then piled in the car and they raced off.

"Wait a minute," Sly said. "Where is this place?"

"In a shopping plaza two blocks to the right," Penelope answered.

"Gotcha."

They quickly arrived at Radio Shack and both Todd and Penelope got out. "You're joining me?" Todd asked.

"Yes," Penelope said. "Like I said, we're going to have to make some modifications for my RC car for this mission."

"That's right," Todd said as he unlocked the door, disabled the alarm system, and stepped inside. "What sort of mods do you need?"

"I need you to attach some mechanical arms and tools to the car so we can install the laser module," she said, searching for the necessary parts.

"OK." He found the parts necessary to construct a laser to attach to Bentley's security system.

"Are you sure you're allowed to take this stuff?" Penelope asked.

"No one will notice," said Todd.

"If you say so..." The two then left the store. Todd locked the door once again and turned the alarm back on. They returned to the car and Sly.

"Have you two got everything you need?" the raccoon asked.

"Yes, sir," said Todd.

"Then let's get you two back to Todd's house to prepare for your mission," Sly said. "You're going to have to do the actual mission without me, though."

"What? You're not coming along?" asked Penelope.

"No," said Sly. "I have to get out of town. Otherwise Carmelita might find out I didn't really lose my memory."

"Oh..."

"Do you think you two can handle it?"

"Of course," said Penelope. "Me and my Todd will save the day!" She then hugged the turtle, who smiled lightly.

"You two make a charming couple," Sly said as they pulled into the driveway.

"Thank you," Todd said, stepping out of the car. Sly got out of the car. "Well, good-bye..." Sly had disappeared before anyone could say anything.

"Let's get to the workshop," Penelope said. The two headed inside to work on their plan. 


	6. Grand Finale

Bentley returned home to catch a brief break from his research and spend some much-needed time with his beloved Penelope. However, the mouse was nowhere to be found in their apartment. "Penelope? Penelope! Where could that girl be?" He searched the entire apartment and then came into the living room, where he noticed a piece of pink paper on the coffee table. It was a note from Penelope.

Bentley,

Since you've decided that you love your time machine more than me, I've headed out in search of a new mate. It's time you found out what it felt like to sleep alone. Hopefully, I'll find someone who isn't a self-obsessed creep like you.

Penelope

Having read those words, he was stunned. He had allowed that stupid machine to take over his entire life. His attempts to turn back the hands of time may have cost him the only girlfriend he has ever had and the only person who truly understood him. Perhaps it was time for him to abandon this whole project, which seemed to be going nowhere anyway. He pondered these options as he wheeled into the bedroom for the night.

Todd and Penelope went through his house and out to the back and his shed. Todd was just about to unlock the door to his workshop, when Hector, his annoying coworker jumped in front of the door. "Hold it right there, turtle! I know what you're up to, and I won't allow it to happen!"

"I'm sorry I had to swipe those parts," said Todd. "But it was an emergency. I can pay for them if you like..."

"I will not allow you to foil Mr. Arpeggio's master plan!" said the bunny, who then grabbed both their supplies and Todd's keys.

"I don't know what you're doing here, but you better get lost!" Todd said, grabbing his things back. Hector then pushed Todd to the ground, knocking him on his shell so he couldn't get up. The rabbit then pulled out a gun and pointed it at the turtle's head. Todd withdrew his head into his shell.

"You leave us alone and get out of here!" Penelope shouted, kicking Hector in the stomach. He falls to the ground, and she recovers their equipment and helps Todd up. The two then quickly make their way into the workshop and lock the door behind them.

"This isn't over!" Hector shouted from outside, pounding on the door.

"What are we going to do about him?" asked Penelope.

"Relax," Todd said. "I'll take care of this." He picked up a telephone and dialed a number. "Hello, police? I'm calling to report a trespasser. Yes. OK. Good-bye." He hung up the phone. "OK. Let's get to work."

"OK." She set her RC car on the workbench and Todd took out the parts they had taken from his store. He took out a screwdriver and began to work on the car as Hector continued to bang on the door.

"Should we be worried," Penelope asked.

"The cops should be here shortly."

Todd quickly attached two mechanical arms to the car and some tools capable of installing the laser device. He reassembled the car and then picked up the remote control. He turned the car on and then used the remote to test the mechanical arms. Everything appeared to be in working order. "Nice job, honey," Penelope said. Now the difficult part began. He had never worked with one of those laser security things before. Hopefully it wouldn't be too difficult to figure out.

As he began to work, he heard sirens approaching in the distance. "That should take care of our bunny problem," Todd remarked as he assembled the laser device. He quickly finished the laser. "I hope this works..."

"We'll know soon enough," said Penelope. "Let's get going."

"So, just where are we headed?"

"Bentley's lab," she said. "I'll give you directions."

The two stepped out of his workshop and once again headed for his car, as Hector was being led away by police.

Unable to sleep, Bentley headed over to his assistant Oliver's house, hoping the wise older swan could perhaps offer him some words of comfort. After all, the guy had been dumped more times than he cared to remember. He knew it was a bit late, but that bird always seemed to be awake.

He wheeled up to Oliver's door and politely knocked on it. He waited several minutes without response before the swan finally answered.

"Why Bentley, my friend," he said. "What brings you here? Did you have another breakthrough with the machine?"

"No, no," Bentley said shaking his head. "Penelope left me..."

"Oh," said the swan. "Now, why did she do that? Another guy?"

"No," the turtle said. "She left me because I've been spending too much time working on our time machine."

"I see..."

"I'm thinking about abandoning the whole project," said Bentley. "We don't seem to be getting anywhere."

"If that's what you wish to do," Oliver said. "Then I'll support your decision. Why don't you come on in for a bit?"

"OK." The two of them then entered his house.

Todd and Penelope had arrived at Bentley's laboratory, which was located inside an old brick building close to the center of town. They then stepped out of his car. "This should be a pretty easy job," Penelope said, turning on the car and starting it up.

"I hope you're right," said Todd.

"Make sure nobody gets inside to interfere with our plan," Penelope said as she drove the car toward the building and straight up the wall, heading toward the roof vent.

"OK." Todd had been equipped by Penelope with a shock pistol she had grabbed from the cops during her adventure with Sly, and a Binocu-Com with which to communicate with her should the two be separated.

Penelope climbed the car all the way up the roof and moved up to the vent as Todd watched. No sooner then she drove into the vent then Todd spotted a strange sight in the sky. It was a small bird flying on some type of rocket pack. This was the villain Arpeggio. He touched down on the roof and grabbed Penelope's car as she tried to enter. "What's this? It appears someone is trying to sabotage my master plan, using a toy?"

"Oh no!" said Penelope. She then remembered that the car was equipped with weapons. "Of course..." She fired the gun in the bird's face, knocking him down. She then blew the cover off the vent and raced down into the duct. As this was happening, Todd and Penelope were both surrounded by Arpeggio's thugs, all large and fierce-looking creatures. The turtle began to fire at them with his shock gun. He kept knocking down thugs, but they kept on coming.

"I don't think I can keep this up much longer!" he said to Penelope, who had moved down the street and out of sight of the enemy.

"Try to hold on just a bit longer..." She had now driven to the end of the duct, where the open vent led into Bentley's lab. She now put the mechanical arms in motion, to begin installing the laser device.

"I'll try," Todd said, jumping up on the hood of his car to avoid the mob of angry enemies.

Arpeggio's beak had been slightly cracked by Penelope's gunfire, but he was otherwise fine. "Stop these troublemakers at any cost!" He shouted into his radio. He then entered the vent and crawled down inside the building. He reached the car and grabbed it as Penelope worked on installing the laser. He then destroyed both the vehicle and device. "My plan will not be thwarted!" He then continued down into the laboratory and the time machine.

"Now what!" Penelope cried.

"I better go in there..." said Todd, blasting through the crowd of thugs and making his way over to her.

"But, the lasers..."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of things," he said.

"I hope you know what you're doing," she said.

"Just get to someplace safe." He then headed toward the building. The front door was locked. He kicked it in and stepped inside, stopping short as there was a wall of lasers just inside the doorway. He inspected the glowing red beams before him. It appeared there was enough space for him to safely crawl underneath them. He got down on the ground and made his way beneath the wall of lasers, with one of the beams lightly touching the top of his shell as he entered the building. It was time to get upstairs.

Bentley and Oliver were just sitting around in the living room of the swan's house. "Why don't we do something?" asked the turtle. "For an international rock star, you sure live a boring life."

"This is what happens when your five minutes of fame have expired," Oliver said. "No one calls or visits, and you don't get invited to the good parties anymore." He sighed.

"It seems we're both destined to be alone and bored," Bentley said. Just then, an electronic beeping sound came from his wheelchair. "It looks like there's been a breach at the lab. We should get going."

"OK." Oliver got up and both he and Bentley headed out.

Todd now made his way over to the staircase, which was covered by yet another wall of laser beams. This one was going to be tough, as there was no room at the bottom for him to crawl under. He thought things over and then came up with an idea. He was sure this would work... He removed his glasses and placed them into the laser field, deflecting the beams upward and leaving some room for him to pass through. He did so and then headed upstairs.

As Penelope waited outside, she spotted a strangely familiar sight. It was Bentley hovering in the air in his wheelchair. He flew by without noticing her and landed on the roof. He went to a door on the roof and then entered a code into a keypad alongside it. He then made his way inside to see what the disturbance was.

His assistant Oliver, to whom Bentley had never bothered to introduce her, arrived soon after, flying under his own power as his wings were very much suited for flight, unlike Arpeggio's. He also landed on the roof and entered through the doorway.

Todd arrived on the second floor of the building. Surprisingly, the entrance to the lab was completely unguarded, making the turtle wonder if all of this was for nothing. He stepped into Bentley's lab just in time to catch Arpeggio stepping into the time machine and attempting to start it up.

"Stop right there!" Todd commanded, pointing his shock gun at the bird.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Todd," Arpeggio said. "But I don't think there's much you can do to stop me."

"Wanna bet?" the turtle said, placing his finger on the trigger of the gun.

"Take your best shot, you foolish boy," Arpeggio commanded.

"OK..." He fired his shock pistol at the villain. The parrot was clad in an unusual looking suit of armor. He hit the bird square in the stomach, but the blast was deflected off of him and headed straight for Todd, who dashed out of the way.

"Uh-oh..."

"Indeed, my boy. Your time on earth is numbered," the villain said, taking out a sword and moving closer to the turtle.

"You fool!" Todd said. "You think you can kill a turtle with that?" He then pulled inside his shell and lay on the floor.

"That's exactly what I expected you to do." Arpeggio headed back into the time machine and began to activate it. Just then, Oliver and Bentley entered the room.

"Step out of that machine right now!" Oliver said, pointing a gun at Arpeggio.

"It's about time you fools arrived," he said, pressing buttons on the machine.

"Arpeggio?" said a stunned Bentley. "But I thought..."

"Yes, yes," the villain interrupted. "You thought I was killed by Clockwerk. Well, I wasn't and now I'm going to make sure that my original plan is implemented."

Todd popped out of his shell and aimed his gun at Arpeggio's head, which was unprotected. "It's time to end this." He fired, but missed the bird, instead hitting the time machine and setting off a massive explosion, destroying it and a significant portion of the lab. Arpeggio had flown up on his rocket pack, just missing the blast, and hovered above everyone else. "Damn you all!" he said.

"Looks like no rewriting history for you," Todd said.

"You haven't heard the last of me!" Arpeggio warned. He then took off and flew away.

"You ruined my lab!" said Bentley, who had been knocked out of his wheelchair.

"And you allowed the villain to get away," Oliver said as he helped him up.

"Sorry," Todd said.

The explosion had knocked out the security system. Penelope had now entered the ruins of the laboratory. "What happened?"

"This idiot blew up my time machine and half my lab with it," Bentley whined. "And what are you doing here?"

"Todd and I tried to protect your time machine from evildoers," she said.

"Well, it looks like you've wrecked everything instead," Bentley said.

"Well, at least I stopped that guy from time travelling," said Todd.

"Who is this asshole and why is he here, anyway?" asked Bentley.

"This is my new boyfriend Todd, and he's kinder and sweeter than you are," Penelope said, patting Todd on the head.

"You left me for this moron!" Bentley said angrily.

"I'd thank you if you'd stop insulting my Todd," she said.

"Look Penelope," Bentley said, wheeling over to her. "I'm sorry I've spent so much time away from you. Now that there's no time machine, I'm prepared to spend my whole life by your side." He reached out and held her paw.

"I don't know..." Penelope said.

"The choice is up to you," he said. "You can stay with me, or go with this loser."

"You're lucky you're in that chair," Todd snapped. "Or else I might have to mess you up."

"Don't let that stop you!" Bentley shouted.

"Enough of this," said Penelope. "Bentley, I didn't mean to leave you... We've been through so much together... I think we could make this work..." She looked into his eyes as they held hands.

"So, you're taking me back?"

"Yes," she said and then kissed him on the forehead. She then turned to Todd. "I'm sorry, but Bentley's my one true love. Please try to understand. We can still be friends if you like."

"OK..." he said sadly. "I guess I better be going now." He started to leave the destroyed laboratory building, setting down the shock pistol before departing.

"Bye," Penelope said, waving.

Tears began to fill Todd's eyes as he began the long, slow, painful walk home. In his sadness, he had forgotten that he drove there. He thought he had finally found someone to end his loneliness and be his lifelong companion, but it wasn't to be.

As he walked, he heard an anguished female voice call out. "Somebody help me!" It was coming from the park. He followed the sounds of the voice through the darkened woods and reached a walking path. There he found a rough-looking muscular bulldog standing over a young female turtle who had been knocked on her back and could not get up. "You shoulda just handed it over, lady!" the bulldog said, grabbing her purse.

"You leave her alone!" Todd said assertively, approaching the two.

"Another turtle?" the dog said. "You better stay out of this kid, unless you want your shell broken."

"Give her back the purse and get out of here!" Todd yelled.

"Why don't you make me?" the bulldog said, snickering.

Todd ran over and kicked him hard in the knee, knocking him down. He then climbed up on the thug's chest. "I've had a rough night tonight, and I don't need you messing with me. Now give this back and get lost!" He grabbed the purse away from him.

"You think you're tough guy, huh?" the dog asked, grabbing the purse back and pushing Todd aside as he got up. Todd then grabbed the thug as he tried to leave and slashed him across the chest with his beak. "I told you... Don't mess with me!" He took the purse back once more.

"Ow!" the bulldog exclaimed. "Fine. Fine. This has gotten too hard." He then ran away. Todd then went over to the fallen turtle and helped her up.

"Thank you for saving me," she said. She was a young, pretty and delicate creature with beautiful blue eyes. Like Todd, she wore glasses. She was wearing a nice blue dress, which was slightly torn and stained from her encounter, and a pair of matching high-heel shoes. "I'm Mary."

"Nice to meet you," said Todd. "And it was no problem."

"It's been quite a night for me," she said. "First, my boyfriend dumps me, and then this thug attacks me and tries to take my purse."

"You got dumped too?" he asked. "My girlfriend ditched me for some cripple."

"Oh..."

Todd gazed into her blue eyes for a moment. He had never seen a turtle quite so beautiful. Could she be the one for him? "Uhh, would you like to join me for a cup of coffee?"

"Um... OK..." she said. "That would be nice."

He smiled and took her paw. "Let's go." They walked down the path together, heading out of the park.

"You're the bravest turtle I've ever seen," Mary said.

"Thanks..." said Todd, blushing slightly.

"And I really like your shoes," she said, looking a his bright red Converse high tops.

"Why thank you. That's a very pretty dress you're wearing," said Todd.

"You're so charming..." They soon arrived downtown and walked together down the darkened streets. Todd led her to an small coffee shop, the only business still open. They went inside and took a seat at the counter.

and Penelope were now back at their apartment, reunited at last. Penelope was sitting on the edge of the bed when the turtle wheeled in. He parked his wheelchair at his side of the bed and then she lifted the small turtle out of it and set him down. She then covered him up and kissed him. "I'm so sorry I left you..."

"It's OK," he said. "I deserved it." He took off his glasses and set them on the nightstand. "Things are going to be different from now on." She hugged him and slipped beneath the covers. "Good night, my love." He turned off the lights.

"Good night, Bentley." She held him tight. The two quickly fell asleep, exhausted by the day's events.

In all the excitement with Bentley and the lab, Oliver had completely forgotten that he and his band (or what was left of it.. But that was another story) had a performance that night. He quickly arrived back at his house, gathered up his things and then t raced down to the nightclub where he was to play. He was greeted at the door by the club's owner, a short-tempered duck.

"It's about freakin' time you got here, Featherstone," the duck said. "You go on in less than a minute!"

"I'm sorry I'm late, sir," said the swan.

"It's not me you need to apologize to," the owner said. "It's your fans."

"What fans?" The club was empty except for its employees and two or three patrons.

"Enough of this nonsense," the duck said. "We have a deal. Now where's your band?"

"My... band?" the swan responded. "That's a good question." His bass player, Randy, was probably laying passed out drunk somewhere. His drummer was none other than Todd, the Radio Shack employee and wannabe hero. How could he let that turtle get away like that? It didn't matter. He couldn't have been in any condition to play after all he'd been through, the battle, the explosion, being dumped like that.

"If they don't show up in 30 seconds, then I'll make sure you never play this town again!" the duck warned.

"It looks like I can't play tonight then," he said.

"I don't believe this!" the club owner remarked. "Get out of my sight, you worthless has-been! I never want to see you again!"

The swan then sighed and walked out of the club. His life was a complete wreck, and he had no one to blame but himself. He never should have gotten involved in this whole time machine project. But that Bentley fellow had come begging him for help. Apparently, no one in the scientific community took the guy seriously. It didn't help that he had spent most of his life running around with a thief like Sly Cooper blowing things up and killing people. Anyhow, the turtle looked so pitiful, in that wheelchair and all, so he decided to help him out.

And he had paid dearly. With his career in ruins, Oliver climbed back into his jeep and headed for home. "Every time I help a turtle, I always end up getting screwed," he thought as he drove down the deserted streets. "First Todd, then this Bentley. No more."

THE END 


End file.
